Driek Desmet

Driek Desmet

Driek Desmet focuses on Microsoft security, governance and compliance within enterprise environments. His work centres on identity security, Microsoft 365 protection, risk management and regulatory alignment such as NIS2. Through independent analysis and field experience, he explores how organisations can design secure and compliant Microsoft cloud architectures across Entra, Purview, Defender and Intune.
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How to Receive Admin Notifications in Microsoft Entra Without a Mailbox

In this blog post, we explore how to receive admin email notifications in Microsoft Entra without assigning mailbox licenses to admin accounts. By leveraging plus addressing in Exchange Online, organisations can route notifications to existing mailboxes, maintaining security and reducing licensing costs. Plus addressing allows admins to create unique email aliases by appending a "+" and a tag to their existing email address, ensuring critical alerts are received without exposing privileged accounts to additional risks. We walk through the setup process, share a real-world use case from Contoso, and demonstrate how this solution can streamline your admin workflow.

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Automate Your Onboarding and Offboarding in 15 Minutes with Entra Identity Governance

Onboarding and offboarding employees manually can lead to errors, delays, and compliance risks. With Microsoft Entra Identity Governance, you can automate these processes in just 15 minutes—no scripting required. Discover how to streamline user lifecycle management, enhance security, and maintain compliance with Entra’s powerful workflows and customisable extensions. Perfect for organisations looking to save time, reduce costs, and improve efficiency.

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Get Ready: Microsoft Will Automatically Switch to the New Outlook for Windows in 2025!

Microsoft is rolling out the New Outlook for Windows, with automatic transitions starting in January 2025 for Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium users, and April 2026 for Enterprise users. Organisations can manage this migration using Microsoft Intune, leveraging detection and remediation scripts to control when and how users switch. Get ahead of the change by planning, testing, and communicating updates to your teams to ensure a smooth transition.

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Strengthening Cloud Governance and Resilience with Microsoft

Effective cloud governance is critical in today’s digital landscape. Organisations must tackle risks, ensure compliance, and design resilient architectures to meet directives like NIS2. This guide outlines six essential steps to achieve robust cloud governance using Microsoft tools like Azure Service Health, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and Azure Backup. From mitigating concentration risks to preparing exit strategies, learn how to enhance your governance framework and protect your operations.

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Introducing Microsoft Entra’s “Request on Behalf”: A Better Way to Manage Temporary Access Passes

Discover how Microsoft Azure AD's new "Request on Behalf" feature revolutionises the management of Temporary Access Passes (TAPs). This feature simplifies access workflows for IT admins and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) by enabling requests to be made on behalf of others, enhancing efficiency, governance, and security across multiple tenants. Learn how to configure and implement this feature for a smoother, more secure access management process.

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Why Password Policies Matter and How Often to Update Them

In today’s digital age, securing online accounts goes beyond just choosing a strong password. Frequent password changes, once seen as a key security measure, may actually do more harm than good. This blog explores the latest insights from NIST and Microsoft, highlighting why password policies should focus on long, complex passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) instead of arbitrary resets. We’ll also dive into the future of security: passwordless authentication. Discover how businesses and individuals can embrace these modern practices to enhance security and reduce password fatigue.

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My Top 10 Picks from Microsoft Ignite 2024

Microsoft Ignite 2024 showcased groundbreaking advancements across security, hybrid work, and cloud management. From the Windows Resiliency Initiative and its Quick Machine Recovery feature to Microsoft Purview's expanded Data Loss Prevention capabilities, this year's Ignite highlighted how Microsoft is reshaping IT landscapes. The integration of Windows 365 Link, Universal Print Anywhere, and enhanced Intune features reflect a clear focus on simplifying hybrid environments and bolstering security. For a deeper dive into my top 10 picks.

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Microsoft 365 DSC: Automate, Configure, and Monitor Like a Pro

Discover how Microsoft 365 Desired State Configuration (DSC) empowers IT professionals to automate, monitor, and maintain tenant configurations with ease. This blog dives into the benefits of DSC, including drift prevention and multi-tenant synchronization, while providing a step-by-step guide for deployment. Learn from real-life examples covering Exchange Online, Intune, and Entra, and explore additional resources to streamline your configuration management. Whether you're using DSC, Azure Runbooks, or Terraform, find the tools to optimize your automation strategy. Read on to master tenant management!